7 Reasons to Be Thankful for Cats

With the holidays coming up, your stress levels are probably climbing. (You’ve got parties to plan, gifts to buy, family and friends to entertain.) Be thankful that you have a cat who can help you relax. Studies have shown that looking at or petting an animal can help your heart rate go down, and cat owners know that at the end of a long day, sometimes the best way to unwind is to snuggle with your favorite feline.

It used to be a bit of an insult to be called a cat lady. Not anymore! It’s quite the compliment to achieve cat lady status. You can thank cat-inspired fashion, feline-loving celebrities like Taylor Swift (pictured here with a cardboard cutout of her Scottish Fold, Olivia Benson) and well, the Internet in general, for making cats so popular. And cat ladies aren't the only ones who are hip: It’s cool to be a crazy cat guy, too!

Cats are total pros when it comes to snuggling — just count how many times a day they nap! Cats don’t always let you cuddle with them, but when they do, it’s simply the best — especially if you share a slow blink and hear purrs of contentment.

Cats are so funny you don’t even have to own one to appreciate their humor. Just watch a cat video or look at a cat meme. Who would’ve thought that a cat with a grumpy face could become a global phenomenon? Why do we find a Scottish Fold jumping in a box so amusing? We don’t know. All we know is that cats don’t even have to try to make us laugh, they just do.

Crumple up a piece of paper or open a cardboard box and place it on the floor near your cat. What you see as destined for the trash or recycling bin he sees as one of the world’s best cat toys — a timely reminder that you don’t need the latest gadgets and gizmos to have fun.

Cats can be a little odd: They think mice are excellent gifts, they often prefer to sleep in tiny spaces and one minute they’ll stare at you non-stop and the next they’ll totally ignore you. While some of their behaviors might baffle us, cats don’t really seem to care what we humans think of them. And there’s something refreshing about that. Take a cue from our feline friends and remember to be yourself and quit worrying so much about other people's opinions.

If you own a cat, consider yourself lucky: You have someone who typically loves you, no matter what. And that’s something to be truly thankful for. Yes, we know it’s sometimes hard to tell, but there are several subtle ways your kitty shows you affection: head butting, a slow blink, sitting on you or beside you and kneading his paws on your lap are just a few. So next time your cat says I love you, give him a nice pet in return and maybe a cat treat or two.